Refrigerator and ice container therefor



June 22 1926. 1,589,484

- M. REINOLDT REFRIGERATOR AND ICE CONTAINER THEREFOR Filed Oct. 31 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ari [#702 4 #019172 flux/04 0 7' June 22 1926. 1,589,484

M. REINOLDT REFRIGERATOR AND ICE CONTAINER THEREFOR Filed Oct. 51 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 2 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,589,484 PATENT OFFICE.

MORITZ REINOLDT, 01E ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ST. LOUIS BUTCHERS AND HOTEL SUPPLY COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MIS- SOURI.

Application filed October 31', 1923. Serial No. 671,855.

'My invention relates to improvements in refrigerators and ice containers therefor and has for its primary ob ect a refrigerator having a chilling chamber and a display,

chamber, a reticulated ice container belng used in the chilling chamber, the purpose of which is to permit the ready circulation of air around and through the container and the cracked ice contained therein so that a great portion of the air thus circulated will come in contact with the ice and be chilled.

A further object is to construct an ice container, the sides and bottom of which are reticulated so that a minimum amount of space is present on which frost can accumulate and consequently a drier box will be the result.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental vertical View of a refrigerator taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 and showing the ice container in position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1 showing one of the ice containers emptied and in position.

In carrying out my invention I employ a refrigerator having a chilling chamber 3, and a display chamber 4. The top and front walls of the display chamber having located therein a plurality of glass panes 5 which are for the purpose of permitting the goods in the refrigerator to be viewed. Access is gained to the compartment by means of doors 6. The chilling chamber is provided with a door 7, the remainder of the chamber being closed on one side, one end, top and bottom, the other side of the chamber is left open so as to provide an air passage 8. In this air passage 8 is placed a frame 9, to which is secured a screen 10. This frame and screen are for the purpose of preventing any of the articles on display from falling into the chilling chamber. Located in the bottom of the chilling chamber is a drippan 11 which is provided with a drain pipe 12. This drain pipe may lead either direct to the sewer or to any suitable receptacle to catch the drippings from the ice.

Secured to the side wall 13 of the chilling chamber are angle irons 14, and extending across the passageway 8 are angle irons 15. These angle irons serve as supports for the ice containers which are in the form of wire baskets 16. These baskets have their hottoms 17 inclined so that the space between the baskets adjacent the passage 8 will be greater than the space between the baskets adjacent the wall 13. The purpose of this is to permit the air to circulate freely. Secured to opposite sides of the baskets 16 are angle irons 18 by means of which the baskets 16are slidably located on the angle irons 14 and 15. The baskets are adapted to be filled with cracked ice and salt and pushed into position within the chilling chamber, and the brine resulting from the melting of the ice and salt drips from one basket into the other and while passing from one basket to the other absorbs heat from the air within the refrigerator, which heat is again removed while the brine is passing through the next basket and finally into the drippan 11. By making my ice containers in the form of a wire basket very little material is exposed on which frost can accumulate and by practically eliminating frost a very dry box is obtained for the reason that the frost in accumulating will gradually become so thick as to act as an insulator and affect the chilling effect of the ice on the moisture of the air, or in other words, will reach a point where the ice will no longer chill its surface sufficient to accumulate more frost and the consequence is that the moisture contained by the air within the refrigerator will be condensed so as to form a fog. This will be circulated through the refrigerator and cause what is commercially known as a wet box and make any article of food contained in the display refrigerator either soggy, slimy or moldy and render them unfit for sale.

I may also instead of using three containers as shown, employ one large container or in very large boxes the number of containers may be increased.

It is also to be understood that the number of chilling chambers employed in the refrigerator depends entirely upon the length of the box, it being usual to employ one chamber for approximately every ten lineal feet of display chamber.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is A refrigerator comprising a display chamber, a refrigerating chamber adjacent to and in communication therewith throughout its height and width, a plurality of woven wire baskets having inclined bottoms slidably supported in said chilling chamber, the uppermost of said baskets adapted to be filled with cracked ice and salt and the remainder of said baskets adapted to be filled with cracked ice and arranged in vertical spaced apart relation to each other so that the resulting brine drippings will pass to the next basket below, said baskets arranged so that the bottoms incline upwardly toward the display chamber whereby the space be tween adjacent baskets next to the display chamber is greatest thereby allowing a free circulation otchilled air, and a drip pan provided with a drain pipe located beneath the lowermost basket, said drip pan adapted to catch the drippings from said lowermost basket and conduct them away from the re frigerator and means for preventing any of said dri'ppings to enter the display chamber.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 20 name to this specification.

MORITZ REINOLDT. 

